Nightmares
by ntrophi
Summary: The Fall of San Francisco - before, during and after - seen through the eyes of a younger and less-psychotic Hein. PG for now, as no-one's died yet. Review me and get a special cookie!


Author note: Jeez, this has taken me a long time to write up. Originally, it had been more or less done and dusted before September, but then my computer decided to wipe its own hard drive, losing me almost all of my work. So I've had to rewrite this from memory, and anyone who knows me will realise that I don't even _have a memory!_

Anyway, to the important stuff. This is the start of my version of the Fall of San Francisco. It seems all fluffy and happy at the moment, but you'll see… *evil giggle* It's set about seven years before the events of TSW – I don't know if this is the right time exactly, but I'm using my creative licence and making it so!

I don't own Hein, or the Phantoms. Amano and Kern are mine. I used the names of two of my friends to name Hein's daughter and wife (who I also don't own!) Please don't sue me. I am a student; I can't even get to a computer once every week! I ish poor – be nice to me! Thankyouverymuch!

Well, enjoy! Cookies to those who review, big ol' bottles of out-of-date ketchup to those who don't!

~~~~~~

Major Douglas Hein took in a deep breath, trying to fill his lungs with the air of his home so that he wouldn't forget. This was the part he hated most; being forced from his family by the army. The Phantom threat was still rife, and he was needed in New York. It pained him to leave; it always did._ Who wouldn't be hurt if they had to leave what I'm leaving behind? he thought, turning around and walking the few steps to where they were waiting._

'How long are you gonna be, Daddy?' Sarah asked; her tone still full of child-like innocence, even though he knew she could be anything but innocent at the best of times.

'Not long, hopefully,' he replied, moving one arm around her and pulling her close to him. He smiled, but deep inside, he was crying. He hated to leave. What if something happened while he was gone? What if there was an accident, or worse?

'You're doing it again,' Hein blinked and looked forwards, straight into the sapphire eyes of his wife.

'Doing what?' he asked. His wife, Anna, smiled softly and shook her head.

'You think too much. You're worrying, aren't you?' Hein's smile widened just a little and he nodded meekly.

'You know me too well,'

'And that's why I love you so much,' she said, ruffling his hair. Hein allowed a chuckle to escape his lips, but it soon faded as he looked back at her; the worry evident in his steel gray eyes. Anna smiled, taking one of his hands in hers and shaking her head.

'Don't worry, Doug. It's not the first time you've been called away, and it won't be the last,' Hein didn't take his eyes from hers, and sighed slowly.

'I don't like being so far away... What if something happens?' Anna put a finger to his lips and shook her head.

'It won't and you know it. Now, please, stop worrying about us,' Hein nodded, not wanting to move any more than he had to. He just wanted to stay here, in the safety of this barrier city. He wanted to remain with his wife and daughter.

Everything he wanted was just out of reach...

Anna saw the worried look in her husband's eyes again, and decided that trying to reassure him wasn't working. Instead, she grabbed him gently by one of the lapels of his trench coat and pulled him closer to her.

'Just so you don't forget me,' she whispered, smirking impishly before pressing her lips onto his. _If the world ended right now, Hein thought, the worry melting away for the moment. __If a Phantom came and took my spirit at this very second, I would die a happy man,_

'Major?' a nervous voice said behind him. Hein scowled ever so slightly, not wanting to break apart.

'Can't you see I'm busy?' he said irritably; causing Anna to laugh. The private looked down at the floor nervously.

'Sorry, sir. But we have to leave now if you want to get to New York on time,' Hein rolled his eyes, grudgingly pulling away from the warm embrace of Anna's lips.

'Stupid work,' he muttered, crouching down to his daughter's eye level. 'You behave, alright? I don't want to come back and hear tales of you causing trouble.' Sarah looked back at him angelically.

'I'll be good,' she said. Hein nodded, smiling slightly.

'Good,' he started, wrapping both arms around her; enveloping her. 'I'll be back before you know it,' He held her for a moment, before standing and sighing at Anna.

'I will be back soon,' he said; his tone almost apologetic. Anna nodded.

'I know,' she replied, her eyes filling with the same worry he felt. Hein couldn't stand it anymore; looking into the hurt eyes of the woman he loved so much, and instead wrapped his arms around her. She was so warm; like a piece of his very own heart. If she was ever taken away; if either of them were ever taken away... It would be like having a piece of his own soul ripped cruelly from him. 

They remained there for what seemed like an eternity; the peace only being interrupted when the young private coughed again.

'Major, I hate to hurry you...'

'I'm coming,' Hein growled, finally removing his arms from around his wife and stepping back.

'Doug, don't lose your temper with him. He's just doing his job,' Anna said, smiling. Hein smirked sarcastically.

'Yeah, taking me away. Great job,'

'You know what I mean,' Hein nodded, finally taking that step away from them; the step that would take him closer to the ship.

'I know...' Neither of them needed to say goodbye. All Hein had to do was look into the eyes of his wife, and he would know what she was thinking. Saying what they felt would make it all too painful.

He trudged to the ship, stepped onboard and moved to his seat. The first thing he did was look out of the window, looking for the sight he knew he would see; Anna and Sarah stood there, looking up at him. He pressed his palm to the thick glass, and tried to smile. Anna's expression was heartbreaking. This was the fifth time in a year that he'd been called away to New York. Why they didn't just move him there permanently was anyone's guess. It would have made his life eternally easier. He wouldn't have to suffer like this; watching helplessly as Sarah buried her head in her mother's leg, not wanting to let her father see her tears. He wouldn't have to watch Anna's expression, so strong and sorrowful. She tried to hide it, but he knew that she would go back home and cry.

It was exactly what he wanted to do.

It took a few hours to reach New York; a few, painful hours in which Hein could do nothing but think. He could still see Anna's eyes, still taste her lips, still smell her perfume. Knowing that she was not there was awful for him, but he managed to hide his feelings. He was a Major in the army. He couldn't allow himself to be broken down by something as petty as feelings. At least, not in public.

'Two minutes until we land, Major,' a passing soldier said. Hein wasn't sure if it was the same one who tried to order him on board the ship or not. Even so, he didn't mind. He was away now. Every minute would now be spent counting the seconds until he was able to return home.

He went through the rest of the day as if in a daze until he walked into his temporary accommadation. He had stayed in barracks before, but the rooms had never seemed so cold to him before. It was so quiet and plain; Hell compared to his home back in San Francisco.

He moved over to the rough looking cot and slumped down onto it, lying on his back. He could imagine it now, lying there in his own bed, listening to the giggles and laughter as Anna put Sarah to bed. The mere thought was enough to bring a smile to his lips, a smile which soon faded as he remembered where he was.

Sitting up and letting out a deep sigh, Hein moved his gaze over to the single, solitary window. They were out there somewhere, probably already asleep. It would be a harsh night tonight; lonely and cold without Anna's warm embrace. But, he would get through it.

He always did. 

The nights without Anna were usually dark and cold; dreamless. It was as if even his own subconscious realised how painful it was for him to think. Every thought always led back to her; back to what he had been torn apart from.

But tonight; tonight was different. Almost as soon as his eyes closed, he was dragged into a dream; an unreality. Yet, to him, it seemed so real.

He found himself walking up a hill, the damp grass soft under his feet. There was a scent of a storm in the air, and even as he walked, the first few drops of rain began to fall around him. He didn't mind; this was the closest he had been to the world outside the barrier cities in years. It all seemed so very real to him; the smell of fresh rain, the feeling of a slightly warm sun on his back. This was how it should be; quiet and unspoilt. Not like the wastelands that existed today.

As he reached the top of the hill, he allowed himself to gasp slightly. He recognised this place now. As a child, he had spent many an hour here, curled up in the gnarled roots of a huge oak tree, just watching the world go by. But this place; it didn't exist now. It had been one of the first places to succumb to the decay that had swept the entire world. The tree, once so beautiful and strong, was now a rotting stump; black and twisted. The view from the summit of this hill had once been so breathtaking; mountains and forests reflected in the huge lake just below him. He had loved this place, and now it was no more.

Even as he thought that, the scene around him shifted. The sun on his back disappeared, leaving him cold. The rain around him no longer seemed warm and comforting, but hard and unfriendly. He watched – mouth open in horror – as the tree morphed; decaying quickly before his eyes. Before long, he was faced with what this place must look like now. It was horrific; almost painful.

The tree was now little more than a stump, black as if burned, and on the verge of collapse. The lake was now empty, as if there had never been water there in the first place. The forests were bare; no towering trees inhabited them any longer. Even the mountains themselves - once strong and proud – looked as though they were falling apart from within; being destroyed by an unseen enemy.

As his eyes once again swept the desolate scene before him, he noticed something that he was sure hadn't been there before. There was someone stood; waiting by the tree. His eyes narrowed as he took a step closer. It was a woman, he was sure of that. She was familiar, but it couldn't be…

'You weren't here, Doug,'

Hein's eyes widened suddenly as she spoke, her voice sounding as dead as the surroundings. It couldn't be. It just couldn't…

'Anna? What are you doing here?' he asked, his voice suddenly little more than a whisper. What was going on? Why was Anna here, in this dead land? If she heard him, she didn't show it.

'You weren't here when it happened. When they came…' Hein stopped where he was, his brow contorted with confusion.

'They? What do you mean? Anna?'

'They came here. And they took everything away…' She paused momentarily, and slowly began to turn around. Nothing Hein had thought could have prepared him for what he saw, as she faced him. His mouth opened in a silent cry of terror; unable to voice the fear he felt.

'Everything…'

He awoke with a deep gasp; sitting straight up with an audible cry of terror. He could still see her in front of him; Anna's dead, lifeless face. Her eye sockets, devoid of her beautiful sapphire eyes; the bare holes glaring at him as she had lunged forwards. Her skin; hanging from her bones and missing in some places.

'It was a dream…' he whispered, closing his eyes and wiping a hand across his forehead. Slightly surprised to find a cold sweat there, he shook his head and sighed deeply.

After longer than he would have expected, he finally felt brave enough to open his eyes again - blinking as the pale light from the outside barrier hit him. Now, with that familiar glow around him, he knew that he had been childish to have been so afraid.

'Just a stupid dream,' he muttered, standing up and moving to the mirror in the corner of the room. He glanced at his own reflection, ignoring the tiny bead of sweat still working its way down his temple.

'Look at you,' he said to himself. 'Terrified by a little nightmare… Stupid…' He shook his head, finally forcing a wry smile onto his face and turning away to sit on his bunk. He glanced over to the clock on the bedside table. 4am. He did the maths in his head, and smiled slightly as he lay back down on the bed. Sarah and Anna would be asleep right now, safe from nightmares such as his. He could imagine Anna scolding him now.

'It was nothing,' he said again, as if to convince himself. He rolled over onto his side and stared out of the window. He knew he would stare at the stars – dimly visible through the barrier – until they faded and day broke. He wouldn't sleep again tonight. The nightmare had made sure of that.

He had spent the rest of the night lying on his back on the bunk, just staring up at the ceiling. Occasionally, he would flick his gray eyes over to the window, as if to check that all was alright outside. He didn't want to admit it – not even to himself – but the nightmare had unsettled him more than he expected. He had lived his entire life fearing the Phantoms; afraid that one day he might get a call telling him that another one of his loved ones was dead. He had already been through it with his immediate family. He had been made an orphan by the time he was thirteen. His father – an infantry soldier – had been on a routine scouting mission through old Washington when his squad had been ambushed by Phantoms. Hein could still remember the blank face of his mother as she struggled to find a way to tell him; a means of letting him know that his father had been torn away. As for her? She had died not long after… But the Phantoms hadn't taken her. She didn't need any help from them in taking her own life.

He let out a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose with two fingers. All this thinking didn't do him any good whatsoever. When he started to think about anything, his thoughts always turned to the same thing – the Phantoms. Well, who could blame him? His entire life revolved around ensuring their extinction and the survival of the human race. It was hard _not to think about them._

There was a sharp beep from his wrist; his watch letting him know that it was time to get up. Hein wasn't exactly looking forward to the prospect of wandering around the New York base. Especially not when he had to talk with General Kern so much.

He sat up and let himself smile a little cruelly as he thought of the General. In his – and many other soldiers' – opinion, Kern was a complete fool. He spent far too much time listening to the rantings of the bioetheric division. True, the scientists had come up with some excellent inventions, but some of their theories about the Phantoms…

'Preposterous…' he muttered, pulling on his dark gray tunic. He hated this uniform. He always had. It was just so… gray. Anna said that it matched his eyes, but that never managed to allay his assertations that he looked stupid in it.

'Time to go and talk to the old fool,' He shook his head again, examining himself in the mirror for a few moments. His hair – mostly undisturbed for a change – took a little grappling with to make it slick back properly. It had always been unruly, even when he had been a child. The heavy gel he used to slick it back sometimes refused to co-operate, but he always managed to make it look neat. Kern didn't like it like this. _Not that I care what he thinks, He said that having it slicked back made Hein look colder than he actually was. __This coming from the man who also said that the Phantoms didn't plan their attacks… Two days later he sent out five squads of soldiers and none of them came back… If the Phantoms didn't plan their attacks, then why were those soldiers ambushed? Another shake of his head. Kern was a fool, but he had to be dealt with. The sooner he sorted out this latest mission, the sooner he could get back to San Francisco._

A few moments later, he was walking down one of the deserted corridors of the base. In an hour or so, these halls would be full of soldiers – most of them here for the mission Hein was supposed to be planning. But at the moment, they were cold and empty. _Just like her eyes… he thought, his mind subconsciously going back to the nightmare. That had been the worst thing – Anna's eyes, or rather the lack of them. There had just been two holes; voids from which nothing escaped. There was no love, no emotion…_

No hope…

He had heard a saying somewhere that the eyes were the window to the soul. He didn't believe in anything as whimsical as a soul, but it made him think. _What if…?_

'Doug?' a voice said behind him suddenly, making Hein blink away his daydream. That voice sounded familiar.

'Yasuo?' he said, turning around. A smile broke across his face as he saw the familiar smile of his old friend. Major Yasuo Amano grinned as he caught up with Hein; holding out a hand in greeting.

'I thought you weren't due here for another month Amano said, as Hein took his hand and shook it gratefully.

'I wasn't, but Kern wanted me here early,' Hein said, jerking the thumb of his free hand in the direction of the General's office. Amano rolled his eyes slightly.

'Typical. Trust him to make you leave your family early,' Hein smiled and nodded slightly. Amano knew all about Anna and Sarah; he had even met them on occasion. Hein and Amano had joined up at around the same time, and gone through most of training together. Their paths had split a few years ago when Hein had been promoted ahead of his friend and been moved to San Francisco, but they had always tried to stay in touch.

'At least I'm not stuck being his aide, like someone I could mention,' Amano waved an arm and they started to walk down the corridor slowly.

'It's not that bad. I get to sit in on meetings; I stay out of missions into Phantom-infested territory. All I have to put up with is the man thinking he knows everything about Phantom combat. And the jokes. We can't forget Kern's wonderfully _hilarious jokes, can we?' Hein shook his head playfully at the severe twinge of sarcasm on his friend's voice._

'That's more than I could put up with. How he thinks he's funny…' Amano grinned.

'You're too serious for your own good anyway,' Hein's smile twisted sarcastically.

'I see you haven't lost that wonderfully primitive sense of humour,' Amano shrugged.

'Sarcasm is humour for the slow-witted, my friend,'

'My point exactly,' Hein felt he had to laugh; the sound echoing off the walls of the empty corridor. It felt so good to laugh again; to truly laugh out loud. Though it had only been a day or so since he had been this happy, it felt like an eternity; as if a stifling blanket had come down on him on the past day, and had only been lifted by the appearance of a friend.

'Laugh now,' Amano said jokily. 'I assure you that you won't be laughing in a minute,' Hein frowned slightly, turning to look down at his friend.

'Why?' he asked. Amano pointed with one finger.

'We're almost there,' The two burst into low chuckles of laughter, stopping a few feet in front of the General's door to compose themselves. _Wouldn't help me much to burst in there laughing, Hein thought, straightening his tunic again._

'It's good to see you again, Yasuo,' he said, shaking his head. Amano nodded, standing up a little straighter.

'The feeling's mutual, Doug. But we'll have time to reminisce later,' He held an arm out, gesturing to the door. 'Right now, the abyss awaits,' Hein smiled broadly for a moment. It was good to be with an old friend. It wasn't quite enough to make up for being away from his family, but it was good all the same.

'After you,' he said, mock-courteously. Amano grinned, opening the door and stepping inside. Hein took in a slow, calming breath before stepping in after him.

'… If we move the troops up this ridge here, then they should easily be able to bypass the Phantom plain and reach the city,'

'I'm not too sure about that, sir… The Phantoms do have a tendency to wander away from the plain, and our troops won't be able to hold them off if they attack en mass,'

'Nonsense, Amano! If we send our ships to drop a few energy beacons well away from the path of the troops, then we should be fine,'

Hein was bored. For the last hour, he had sat here - in this hard chair – listening to General Harold Kern give his opinion on anything and everything. Anytime anyone else tried to suggest something, Kern would wave it away with a gesture of his large hands and give his own solution to the problem. _Only trouble is that he doesn't know what he's talking about, Hein thought, idly doodling on the notepad on his lap. Kern hadn't even directly asked him anything about the mission yet. __If he wasn't going to ask my advice, then why the hell did he get me here so damned early? He couldn't help but feel angry towards the other man. He shouldn't be here right now. He should be back in San Francisco, where he belonged._

He let out a quiet sigh, and looked up at the General. He was a heavy looking man – the rumours were that he had to have armour specially made for him, as none of the regulation suits would fit him. It might not have been so bad if he were a little taller, but at just five foot five, he was positively tiny. This was most noticeable when Amano – a proud six foot two – stood beside him. The General, too small and too fat, looked very out of place in a military base.

His skin was very red, Hein noticed as Kern extended a hand to elaborate one of his stupid ideas. He looked like someone who had been in the sun a few hours too long. That, Hein reasoned, could not be possible. In order to be exposed to the sun, you had to go out of the barrier cities, and Kern was nowhere near that courageous. He just hid here, in his huge office, while he sent out innocent soldiers to die.

He had a pencil thin moustache, a contrasting black to his thin, graying hair. It sat on his top lip, looking as if someone had placed a worm there. Kern had the irritating habit of smoothing a finger along the course of that moustache every so often, and Hein had to hold off the sneer of disgust.

Yes, Kern was a fool. He thought he had a grasp of Phantom tactics, but that obviously wasn't the case. Any officer with faith in their abilities to plan a hit-and-run mission would not have called Hein in for advice. Tactics were his speciality, and the reason why he had risen in the ranks so quickly. He was only 27, and already a Major. Some soldiers never reached that rank, and he had done it far too quickly. But, he didn't mind. A higher rank had its perks.

Kern's expertise was… Hein frowned slightly. _What is__ he good at? he thought. __Oh yeah… Zeus was his idea… The Zeus cannon was the only thing that gave Kern a little credibility. Years ago – before the ramblings of the scientists had got to him – Kern had submitted plans for a massive attack cannon; one so huge that it would have to be built outside the earth's weakened atmosphere. Once built, it would be able to travel to any spot on the planet, and wipe out Phantom threats there without loss of soldiers or civilians. A perfect solution to a troubling problem._

But, the scientists had got hold of him, and the Council. Backing for Zeus fell, and although the cannon was still being constructed, it was no longer being looked at as a primary weapon in the fight against the Phantoms. _If he had kept up with the idea of Zeus… Hein thought, looking back down at his notepad. __Then maybe I wouldn't be here right now…_

'Major Hein, are you listening?' Hein snapped his eyes upwards. Caught while not paying attention. He could see Amano's small smile as he looked up at Kern.

'Of course, General,' he replied, trying to keep any waspishness from his voice. Kern's watery blue eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Hein's face. Hein suddenly realised that he had only slept a few hours the previous night, and that the dark rings under his eyes must be noticeable to even the General.

'You alright, Hein?' Kern muttered. Hein smiled slightly.

'Just had a little problem sleeping last night, sir. Nothing major… You were saying?'

It didn't take much more for Kern to launch into his reverie again, Hein settling back in his seat. He would get the jist of the briefing from Amano afterwards. Nothing was going to get decided today. Kern would take days, maybe even weeks, to make a simple decision. _Not much I can do about it, he thought, pretending to take a few notes. __After all, he is in charge…He gave a slight shake of his head, and looked back down at his notepad. The sooner this was over…_

Unfortunately for him, the meeting was over later rather than sooner. But finally, after about two hours of ranting about mostly nonsense, Kern dismissed both Hein and Amano, allowing them to breathe heavy sighs of relief as they left.

'I had almost forgotten how boring that man can be,' Hein muttered, stretching his aching neck. He hated sitting down for so long. He would rather have stood through the meeting.

'At least you only get it when you're here,' Amano reminded him. 'Guess who has to sit through it all the time?' Hein shook his head, allowing a smile to creep across his pale face.

'Aren't you just the lucky one?' He didn't need to look over to see the incredulous glare on his friends face.

'Define "lucky" then I'll tell you,'

They walked in silence for a few moments; Hein wondering why the corridors were still relatively empty. At this time on the morning, he would have expected it to be teeming with life. But it almost seemed… _Dead, he thought with a visible shudder._

'Something wrong?'

Silently cursing himself for shuddering at a stupid thought, Hein stopped where he was and turned to Amano, shaking his head.

'Not really. Why do you ask?' Amano was smiling, but the smile hadn't touched his eyes. There was deep concern there, concern that just reminded him of Anna.

'Come on, Doug. I've known too long for you to try lying to me. There's something wrong… I can tell,' Hein felt in no mood to express what he felt, so he pasted a smile onto his face and started to walk again.

'Enlighten me. How can you tell?'

'Well, for starters, you look like you haven't slept a wink all night...' He could almost see the smile. 'Dark rings around your eyes aren't a great fashion accessory for someone as pale as you,' Hein felt he had to smile.

'Alright. I'm a little tired. So? I'm jetlagged. That's all it is,' Amano waggled an accusing finger.

'To the untrained eye, maybe. But I know you better. As much as you hate the guy, you always try to concentrate when Kern's blabbing on about things. Today, I sense a great lack of concentration,' Hein shrugged, determined not to say anything about that stupid nightmare and that stupid sense of unease he had in the pit of his stomach.

'Lack of concentration due to my lack of sleep…' He shook his head again, and turned to face his friend.

'Why are you so insistent on trying to find something wrong with me, Yasuo? I had to leave my family on the other side of the country for God knows how long, all because the idiot in charge doesn't know how to plan an attack,' He knew he had raised his voice much higher than he wanted to, but why _was Amano doing this? There was nothing wrong with him. Amano almost took a step back, somewhat startled by the sudden outburst._

'I'm sorry, Doug… I was just worried about you…' Hein looked down at the floor.

'Well don't be. Just jetlag and insomnia…' he muttered.

The uneasy silence between the two lasted for a full two minutes as they walked down the long corridor. Every couple of moments, Hein would ready to say sorry, but a little voice at the back of his mind told him not to. _It's not even your fault, he would think. __Why's he prying so much? Of course he was going to be a little off the mark; it wasn't easy leaving your family and flying halfway across the country in a few hours. But, Hein reasoned as he glanced up at his friend, he must be worried. __I guess his intentions are noble, he thought as they reached the end of the long corridor. __But I don't need this…_

'I uh…' Hein started, stopping at the junction at the end of the corridor. Maybe an apology was needed, but he had to get out of Amano's company. He just wanted to be alone right now.

'Sorry I yelled…' he said quietly, not looking up at Amano's face as the other soldier put his hand on Hein's shoulder.

'I realise this is all tough for you, Doug. So, if you wanna talk about it…' Hein shook his head and glanced upwards.

'Nah. I'll be fine. I'm just going to head off and try to get some sleep. No good wandering around here looking like one of the undead,' A smile cracked the worry on Amano's face.

'But you _usually look like one of the undead!' Hein smirked._

'Thank you so much for the support,' Amano shook his head, taking his hand off Hein's shoulder and looking back the way they had come.

'I guess I should get back to Kern. He'll be wondering where I've gone,' Hein nodded, starting to take a few steps in the direction of his quarters.

'Have fun,' he joked. Amano laughed.

'Thanks ever so much. And you just relax. Try to sleep or something, and I'll catch up with you at dinner, alright?' Hein nodded slowly.

'Fine,' he said. _But since when did you have the authority to order me around like that? he thought, somewhat more savagely than he expected to._

He began to walk off down the corridor on his own, just staring at the floor a few feet in front of him and mulling over what had happened this morning. _I've had an eventful few hours, he joked to himself. __No sleep, pointless meeting, made friend think I'm insane… He had to let a faint smile creep across his face as he finally reached his quarters. __And I thought I wasn't going to have anything to do here, He shook his head, opened the door and walked inside._

Two hours later, he was sat up on his bunk, just staring at the wall opposite him. He realised it had been a stupid idea trying to come and sleep now, just before mid-day. He never had been much of a day sleeper, and it seemed as though the moment he had closed his eyes, the entire base had sprung into life. The noise almost made him feel a little better - it reminded him that he wasn't alone after all; that the base wasn't entirely dead and lifeless.

He glanced at the watch on his wrist and gave a deep sigh. Just after 1pm. The time was dragging so slowly here, just reminding him of how little he actually had to do here. At least back in San Francisco, he would have had something to do; reports to sign, soldiers to see. Here he was little more than an advisor; coming at the beck and call of some General who had no idea about what he was doing. _If this was where I had seen my life going when I signed up, he thought with a wry grin. __I might have got myself killed at the first opportunity! He chuckled quietly at that for a few moments, before lying back on the bunk and staring up at the ceiling; counting the cracks._

'Another three months of this…' he muttered, closing his eyes. 'Three damned months…'

It was as if he knew that his time in New York wasn't going to be easy. That it wasn't going to be easy at all…


End file.
